Summer 2006

Voice-directed technology is fast overtaking RFID as the technology of the moment. Sharon Clancy reports

Automated voice recognition technology in the logistics world has moved past the innovation and early adoption stage, and is going mainstream. One of the leading suppliers, Vocollect, reports sales up by 40 per cent in the past twelve months alone, and there are now an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 users worldwide.

The attractions of voice-enabling your warehouse operations are well known: close to 100 per cent pick accuracy, and a typical 10 to 15 per cent improvement in employee productivity. Productivity does, of course, depend on what sort of system you are switching from; the gains will be higher, for example, if you are converting from a paper-based system or from barcode-based automatic data capture.

Voice incorporated into a modern WMS can facilitate real-time updates, creating greater visibility in the supply chain. It can have a real impact on replenishment times, and reduce the incidence of short-picks. Greater pick accuracy means fewer short deliveries or the wrong items.

 

Reduced training time is also appealing to more logistics and warehousing companies faced with higher staff turnover, and with the need to manage more employees whose native tongue is not English - or even native English speakers with a strong dialect. Voice systems are not language-sensitive; they simply record what that worker says when asked to say a word. So that can be "seven" in heavily accented English.

"One of the key arguments for voice is that enhances warehouse safety and speeds up pick operations for pedestrian employees because they can see where they are going - and that applies equally to fork-lift truck drivers," points out Greg Tanner, UK managing director of Vocollect.

Tanner thinks there is plenty of growth left for deployment of voice technology. "There are a host of new vertical sectors including sports equipment, automotive parts and the third-party logistics community." Voice has a role even in low-wage economies, he says, to deliver pick accuracy. As he sums it up: "Like barcoding fifteen years ago, voice represents a paradigm shift in managing the supply chain; but it has potentially even broader effects."

The hardware suppliers

With early voice deployments, middleware was essential to interface with legacy warehouse management systems. Some modern WMS systems now incorporate the necessary functionality themselves

"The potential increase in productivity with voice compared with RF is generating massive interest, especially for picking operations," says LXE's UK marketing director Damien Perry. "It is proven technology with a large user base. Costs are coming down and the technology is easier to integrate into existing WMS products.

LXE has voice-enabled all its Windows CE-based mobile computer terminals, from truckmounts to ruggedised handhelds. "We are not just playing with voice, and neither are our customers. It's all about the most efficient method of capturing data in real time.

"Multi-function devices are the future. They allow you to deploy the same device in different areas at different times of the day, and use whichever data capture method is appropriate for the task."

Voice allows managers to improve what they are doing, he adds, especially if an RF network is already up and running on the site. "It's just a question of finding the right application for voice. They tend to be those with fast and large picking demands."

All the devices use LXE's Toughtalk technology, which means they have been optimised for voice. "That means users don't have to compromise on performance or ruggedness when using voice."

The fact that LXE has bought the manufacturing rights to the Voxware voice hardware is good news for LXE customers, says Perry. "Whether you deploy voice or barcode readers, there is only a single point for support."

A year ago Vocollect introduced the T5 voice unit to complement its established T2 model. The T2 remains available because it has a huge installed base, "and we don't want to force our customers on to a way they may not wish to go," Greg Tanner says. Now there is a shift towards T5. "It is more modern and the premium is less than 10 per cent. We actually introduced the T5 at the same prices as the T2, but now the T2 has become cheaper.

Tanner says Vocollect will have enhancements for the T5 available later in the year. "It won't be fundamental, but technology doesn't stand still, and we want customers to benefit."

Darrel Williams, director of integrated solutions for Psion Teklogix, agrees that voice is complementary to other data capture methods, including paper and RFID. "If you are doing 10,000 picks per day, you only need to save one second per pick to get a useful ROI."

Time savings of 12 to 35 per cent have been reported by customers, says Williams. "Typical ROI is six to seven months, although in some cases it has been as low as three months."

Williams points out that it is not just increases in worker productivity that deliver the return. "Voice removes the latency from the WMS while it waits for data to be entered manually. This means stockholdings can be lower and gives managers real-time visibility of actual stock levels."

There are now 10,000 to 15,000 workers in the UK using voice to do their work, but Darrel Williams thinks it will take a further 18 months to two years before the market comes anywhere near saturation point.

"Voice is not just about deploying new technology, it is about re-engineering the supply chain processes. That's why the ROI is so good: business can see the benefits the process re-engineering will deliver even before the deployment starts."

Psion Teklogix's Mobile Integration Suite includes middleware such as Tekspeech to bridge any gaps between legacy software and new hardware. "Lots of systems can't be adapted for RF or voice, and middleware sorts out any issues."

While Psion has been a leading advocate of voice in the UK, it has not gone the LXE route and voice-enabled all its handheld data capture devices. But there will be a voice-enabled version of the Workabout Pro later this year, says Williams, which will integrate Vocollect's Talkman software into the device. "We are moving more slowly than some of our competitors on integrating voice into devices because we want maintain the Workabout Pro's reputation as a robust piece of kit. We don't want to give customers problems by launching multi-function devices before we have thoroughly tested them."

The jury still seems to be out on using voice for operations other than picking. Some companies says it is now being used effectively on replenishment operations. The operations may be only slightly quicker, but there is the benefit of greater accuracy. "You can re-deploy drivers quickly if you need to, and data is available in real time, says Williams. 363 Technologies is even using voice for despatch and loading-bay tasks, he reports.

The WMS factor

The past few months have seen the leading voice technology suppliers team up with warehouse management system suppliers. This philosophy is not just about an alternative route to the customer (although it is no doubt a very effective sales route). It is also a question of building trust with the end user. The WMS companies already have the necessary trust established. WMS systems are typically updated every seven to ten years, and this is helping to drive voice-technology adoption. "As companies seek to renew and update their WMS, they are looking at voice activation," says Gareth Giles, UK managing director for Voxware.

Mobile computer supplier Belgravium and systems developer RedPrairie, for example, are now both resellers for the Voxware voice range, while software specialists Manhattan Associates, Proteus and Microlise are among those using Vocollect.

"Vocollect is our preferred partner, but if a customer wants a different voice solution, we can accommodate those wishes," points out Alan Scott, UK managing director for Manhattan. "Vocollect's voice engine is now embedded in our WMS suite. It's simply a matter of plugging in the Talkman unit as you would an RF gun."

Proteus now offers Proteus Speech with its WMS, using Psion Teklogix handhelds. Both Proteus and Manhattan see voice as being especially useful in cold store environments. "At minus 5 and minus 10 deg C, RF terminals don't work very well. Even when they do, users will be wearing thick gloves, and that makes pressing keys difficult," explains Scott.

Version 5 of the G.O.L.D. supply chain software from Finnish company Aldata incorporates voice recognition as standard. Aldata supports retail, wholesale, manufacturing and logistics companies and has more than 300 installations in nearly 50 countries.

Voxware has developed a system called VoiceLogPro for MS partners. "This uses open standards and methodology to incorporate voice into a WMS solution," explains Voxware's Gareth Giles, "and allows the WMS supplier to take ownership of the voice part of the application - without relying on Voxware for back-up." He adds: "Historically WMS suppliers have done one-off voice projects with voice as a bolt-on. With VoiceLog Pro they can voice-enable their own products."

Voxbrowser is the voice engine for conventional data capture devices. Giles firmly believes that multimodal data capture devices offer warehousing and logistic companies the flexibility they need. "You are not forcing the user into one technology or another. Rather, they can either scan goods or 'talk them' in. That flexibility can be key in efficient warehouse management," he explains. "For example, in goods receiving, voice might be the usual method of reporting, but if an item has an exceptionally long barcode, it will be more efficient to scan it in.

"Also, voice-enabled data capture devices have the potential to interact with other RFID and other automatic data capture solutions."

Working with the data capture manufacturers also lowers the total cost of ownership, says Giles. "The WMS suppliers already have excellent relationships with the device manufacturers, so can negotiate goods prices for the customers."

Voxware has recently sold its hardware manufacturing rights to LXE, so it can concentrate on software developments.

VL Express is the superset of existing products for direct sales to end users. It is a transitional product for legacy WMS. It can be deployed in days rather than weeks

Vocollect remains committed to the indirect model. "Our strength is in developing our core voice technology," says Greg Tanner. "Partners get us into more vertical and horizontal markets than if we were doing it ourselves. In the core warehousing market, voice is being applied to more applications than picking, including receiving, put-away, replenishment and cycle counting. It is even being used on FLT operations."

More managers are now technically aware, he points out, and experienced in making older WMS systems work. "Too much change at once can be detrimental. Some companies want to change their WMS but keep the paper or RF solution at least initially to avoid too much change at once."

The RFID challenge

The popularity of voice will not be challenged by increasing use of RFID in supply chains, says Vocollect's Tanner. "RFID is about product identification. Voice is about moving product from one place in the supply chain to another." There is potential for voice and RFID to work together in the future through, for example, a voice-enabled tag. "It will come down to cost. Is it worth the extra investment to improve a pick accuracy from over 99 per cent to 100 per cent? You can never totally eliminate human error."

One potential development is that the Talkman belt can have an RFID reader incorporated, so that as the employee picks the product it will be registered. "This might have potential for high-value goods picking."

Voice technology - and why you should be listening

Once you decide to invest in voice-directed logistics, there's a good reason for exploring every possible application of voice technology. David Stanhope, managing director of voice technology specialist Voiteq, spells it out when he says there's a need to maximise the use of the voice hardware assets.

"Unless you have a 24/7 picking operation, once you have invested in the terminals it makes sense to investigate other operations where those expensive assets could be of use."

Voice hardware is attractive for any chill and freezer operation, he points out, because the technology is very reliable and easier for employees to use when wearing protective clothing.

Stanhope cites an application with Brake Brothers. The company has deployed voice on 19 sites, initially to speed up picking and improve accuracy on overnight pick operations for delivery to stores early the following day. "By 6 am, the picking process is over," Stanhope points out. "But why not add functionality and use the equipment for replenishment? Replenishment operations are often still paper-based; voice can make it a lot smarter and provide real-time updates.

Kevin Zwolinski of Click-on Logistics suggests some other strong reasons for introducing voice technology. "Hands-free operation is particularly important for picking large or heavy items," he says. "Voice also delivers one instruction at a time, as opposed to a long pick list that could occupy a picker for 2 hours or so. This provides pretty much real-time information, so the probability of error is considerably reduced, and any identified problems can be addressed and rectified straight away.

"It also means significantly reduced walking time back to an operations administration centre each time a problem occurs, resulting in improved operator efficiency and no re-entry of handwritten pick confirmation data, where many errors can occur - particularly if this is being done after the picker has gone off shift.

Where an operation consists mainly of the movement of full pallets, voice technology offers less benefit - partly because there's simply no need to handle anything manually. "From either a reach truck or any pallet truck, it is easier for the operator to read a barcode," Kevin Zwolinski points out. "A barcode reader is more accurate in identifying a pallet label than an operator sitting on a truck. Different products from the same manufacturer often vary only by a few digits on the label. They can look the same, and this can lead to errors."

Then again, Voiteq's David Stanhope points out if your WMS is getting a little long in the tooth, voice can also effectively give it extra life, delaying the point at which a legacy system must be replaced. "Adding a direct voice interface to an older WMS can be difficult or prohibitively expensive. Middleware can resolve those issues and enable a voice deployment to happen in weeks, not months. If the WMS does change, the process can be virtually seamless."